On Saturday, May 9 the Professor of the Law School of the Neapolis University in Cyprus Mrs. Anastasia Grammatikaki-Alexiou gave a lecture on:
“Illegal trafficking of cultural objects: The stolen mosaics of The Virgin of Kanakarias and the legal adventure for their return to Cyprus”
Ms. Grammatikaki referred to a very interesting and current issue for Cyprus and Greece, related to the protection and legal claim of our stolen cultural relics. She analysed the significant decision of the US Federal Court of Appeals on the artistic, historical and religious value of the mosaics of the Virgin of Kanakarias, which were stolen by the Turks after the invasion of 1974, were sold abroad and finally returned to Cyprus after the successful judicial struggle of the Cyprus Government and the Autonomous Church of Cyprus.
The American court, with an excellent, in terms of legal considerations, and a particularly thorough decision, vindicated Cypriot interests and recognized the Republic of Cyprus and the Church of Cyprus as the legitimate beneficiaries of relics.
The event was part of the graduate program (LL.M) from the Law School of the Neapolis University in Cyprus and the introductory comments of the lecture were made by the Lecturer of the Law School Mr. Thomas Nektarios Papanastasiou.
